Production of colored effects by lighting



Nov. 8, 1932. P. BURRELL ET Al. 1,887,285

PRODUCTION OF COLORED EFFECTS BY` LIGHTING Filed Aug. 5, 1951 5 Smets-sheet 1 I l I i l l I l l l l l I NVENTQRS Percy Bu/eZZ and Nov. 8, 1932. P. BURRELL ET AL 1,887,285

PRODUCTION OF COLORED EFFECTS BY LIGHTING Filed Aug. 5, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 [NVE/vm? ,De/"cy Bur/iai? and PM. M

Nov. 8, 1932.

P. BURRELL ET Al.

PRODUGTEON 0F COLORED EFFECTS BY LIGHTING Y Filed Aug.' 5, 1951 5 Sheets-'Sheet 3` Eej OOTHRDYD PERcY BURRELL j Jox-m A.B

Patented `Nov. s, 1932 i i l' i' ,1,887,285

um-ED Asierras PATENT *omen 'i BERCY BURRELL, or wiifrronn, HERTS', ANn JOHN v`ALLEN noo'rHRoYn, or i nI'oKMANs/WORTEKHERTS, ENGLAND yrminuczrioN v.or ooLoRn-nnnrncisfn LIGHTING n i Appiieaiion aieiiaugusi 5, 1931-seriai No. 555,376', Yand in Great Britain rebruar'yfie, ieai.

The present invention isV concerned with i"acias, Wall'f advertising signs, theatreA Jand improvements in orrelating to methods of cinema transparencies, and the like. v' i and apparatus orthe production of colored One feature *of the invention is a' method effects by meansof light passing through a 0f plfidllClIl'gCOlOlClV Glied/S by llghtng ing characteristics: `(a) the screen is adapted liquid ina Containerandchangingthe'posi- Y if desired for the receptionfof advertising 'tion of the said llqull` lIl lts Cfmtalner relaor like matter comprising a plurality of tively to thelightgso that the light is colored-7 letters, words,- iigures or the like; (b) 'the by the ilquld t0 Changlng lfgre'es.v Y v u screen is formed of a plurality of translucent Y v- AIlOtilel fetu@ 0f the IIVQH'GOI iS 13150,

sheetsV arranged one fbehind another and method of producing colored-eifectsby means spaced from one another, the margins of each if .iigiiiiug Winch 17S Cilate'l'lzd by the use sheet'beingir fixed in a frame so as to be liquid "0i a *Compound sceeubiiuvliiig u iiOiiQW 00m` d tight therein; (c) adjacent of thetranslucent Puiiiueui iii-Tough which iight 1S Piolectefi 23.1 Sheets are arranged to form a rigid hollow liquid container connected to the'said hollow Q5 compartment to receiveI liquid; (el) there is uoiiipurtmeiiia' @,OifiieciA iiluid in the 1f1lid C01 1 connected to the hollow compartment a taiuei'a and u device *whereby the Said iiiluiii reservoir for colored liquid; Aand (e) there is muy ,be Caused-t0 fiOQii. und imply from iii@ connected to the yreservoir pumping means Said .Compartment ,S0 usi() 0010i' iight Passing i adapted to 4cause liquid therein to be disthrough tile Screen# Thus by Causing ,the im charged therefrom into ,the hollow compartliquid i0 iis@ uiifi iuii in the iiOiiOWOmPuit.' ment and to be retracted thereto from the nent the Cilioioihof iigilii PBaSSg throigh the sie mme ein @me arretrata; i arraigay 0. 5f Y i; liliiilio'coanncdnpihigor lhtinl; gth ments eachassociated with a separate liquidi@ I h ,he Y

we thai/S@ e rastrearparanaar? example 1S1ZI1S hfoll auVeiiiSitu giuiiiosesl be effected VpSuch methd may be of cony whic are o t e ype a ape No ciange either by becoming alternatelvvisihle and sleilielliieOnnection withflood lightgybghilg (loslil y, A further f eatu'reof the invention is appaillustrativelvin .relation to an apparatus for Eggs orlusltll(fllgglctoqo Cqlolic ef an advertising sign of the type ]ust referred Comndgscreeen Having lfiliolginpal :.2 ssoasnlau Eg Suitable' forment through which light pass, areser- S5 fc3? sgi*- nt (lp t.-O t Y .d voir adapted to-contain colored liquid connl@ o il ge'lllwenflOn-s. (,lrovl nected to the said hollow compartment aiidso Smme me' .Oi Q* C anqfmgi Y euse o constructed and arranged that liquid may be colored liquid colored` lighting effects, for forced from the reservoir into the Said com "3 qxample? for flood ,spot 'and VPIOIQCM' pertinent to color the screen; l l Se iigiiiiingf v x :u f i The various' objects and theseveral fea- Aiiotiiui' obl'ect Qi iii@ invention 1S t0 piO tures of the inventionwill become apparent to vide. e Sign 0f the type referredqto which` those skiiiedin the artfromthe foiiowingde- Y can readily and easily be made to become Seriptioiij in conjunction with the accompanvl i invisible, orrin which a change of color can ing diagrammatic drawings, of the aforemeii- `Sweep gradually across its area. i d toned illustratveshopwindow advertising A further obJect is to provide suoli a sign sign apparatus. v 1 as referred to which shall he readily capable In the Vdrawings screen, the said apparatus having the followu f Which 'iS .ChaIaCGIZQd by the 'use f COiOICi 55 Y of adaptationto diierent classes of signs, Fig. lis ar'OIit'elevation;partly'insection, i l i Fig. 2 is a diagrammaticleft-hand end elevation on a smaller scale and partly in section, of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1;

Fig.` 3 is a diagrammatic end elevation, with parts broken away of the liquid container and the driving mechanism;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the liquid container;

Fig. 5 isa planrview, partly in section, of certain parts of the apparatus;

Fig. 6 is an end elevation. of the containerk vtrom the end opposite to 'that shown in Fig.v 3; and

Fig. 7 is a detail showing the by-passor leakage. Y f 'Y The illustrative apparatus about to be, described comprises an inner casing 1 containing the apparatus proper, together with the source of light, and an outer casing 3 to contain theinner casing and the ldrivingmechanism of the apparatus. Y y

Upon the base 5 (Fig. 2) of the inner'cas- Ying 1 there is mounted a long hollow. drum 7 (Big5/4), the interior of which is divided by a diametrical partition 9 into two more-or-less semi-circular liquid reservoirs 11 -and 13.

. more liquid than is necessaryto lill the space t vMounted upon the top of the drum is a screen comprising three parallel and vertical sheets 15, 17 and 19 of glass spaced from one another about 1/8 of an inch so that there are provided twovertical spaces 21 and 23 between the glass sheets; the sides ofthe rear sheet are supported by'aV illet22 of wood. K The lower ends of the sheets 15 and 19 are let into recesses in an extension of the upper part ofthe drum 7, andthe lowerA end of the sheet y17 is letinto. a recess in the upper part of the partition 9; the upperv ends of the three `glass sheets are connected together, the whole ar- Y rangement being such that the spaces 21 and 23 are liquid tight, except that at the top there is an air vent 24, Fig. 1.

In the front space 21 there areV (in the particular illustrative apparatus being described) ixed between and to the two sheets 'ofV glass 15 and 17 a seriesof lpieces of glass 25 (Fig. 1) and a semi-circular piece 27' arranged to form a diagrammatic sun and rays design as indicated in Fig. 1. In thevupper portion of the space 21 there are arranged pieces of glass 29 to form letters which in the particular vinstance indicatedin the drawings form the word Liquid. It will be noted with any letter having an interior space (such as Qor D) spaces as 31 are provided so as to form a passage-way to the interior of the letter. The vertical spaces 21 and 23- between the glass sheets are connected by passages 12 Vand 14A (Fig. 4) respectively to the liquid reservoirs 11 and 13. Each of these liquid.

reservoirs is of such size as to contain rather to which'the reservoir is appropriated.

In a substantially semi-circular rccess 33 in the partition 9 there is located a round spindle 35 from which there projects out- -wardly towards the circumference of the resthe barrel of a pump with the blade 37 acting as t the pump plunger. When .the` pump plunger. 37- is moved upwardly in its reservoir 11 it will expel liquid Vfrom the reservoir to lood the connected vertical space 21 and surround the pieces of glass 25, 27 and 29 inserted therein and also to flood the interior of letters such as Q and D ;v similar upward movement of theother pump plunger will flood the connected space 23. When a pump plungerv is moved reversely the liquid in the connected space falls by gravity back inte the corresponding reservoir. Thus by moving Ythe plunger of a reservoir the liquid therein may be forced to rise graduallyfrom the bottom to the top of the associated liquid space and'may then be permitted to fall lgradually. The speed of'movement of the liquid up -and down the liquidspace maybe controlled by varying the rate of movement of the plunger. The two reservoirs 11 and 13 it is contemplated will be filled with different colored liquids, say, yellow in the reservoir 13 and blue inthe reservoir 11.

Y Nearthe back 'of the inner casing-1v and in the upper and lower corners-'thereof are electric lamps 41 and 43 (Fig. 2)f provided with reflectors 45 and 47 arranged to throw light from thev lamps towardsthefront. of the casing throughV the composite glass screen. 1 i

In the particular instance being described the front of the inner casing 1 carries a 'member 51 (Figs'.'2 and 4) having atits upper end a recess` 53 in -which'ther'e canfbe inserted when'desired a sheet of obscured or other glass 55; byvr obscured glass `is meant Glass thaty is slightlyopaque., The glass ol? the other sheets 15, 17 and 19'and of the inner insertionv` pieces 25, 27 and 29 are of clear glass.

When the pump plunger37 is rising in the pump barrel llltherewill bel a. tendencvto form-a vacuum in the lower'partofthe bar- ;rel which would normally tend to cause leakage of the liquid past thefleather packing pieces 39. To counteract this one endr of the drum is provided opposite each reservoir 11 and 13 with-aconduit'l, there beinga hole 63 to connect the conduit 61, with the part oit' the reservoir 11 below the plunger 37 there per end of the conduit 61 the latter may be connected by a tube as68 (Fig.- '1) with the top of the corresponding liquid spa'c'e 21. Further, if desired there may be through the lower part of the Vwall of Vthe-chambers' 11 and 13 apertures each closed by af ballvalve 'as indicated at 69 (Fig. 4) to permit if neces'- sary the entry of air. y y K The means for operating the pump plungers will now be described. Mounted upon the base 4 of the outer casing?) is an electric motor 71 which is connected by gearing (indicated generally at 7 3) to a shaft 75 carried at the upper end Yof a pair of brackets, one

of which is indicated at 77, mounted uponV the base 4 of theqouter casing. The shaft has -fixed upon it two grooved vcams 81- and 83, thegrooved faces of which are spaced from and face one another as indicated in Figs. 3 and 5. The to rks of two forked eonnecting rods and 87 embrace the shaft 75, the other ends of thev connecting rods being pivoted to levers 88 and 89 which are ad-V Y justably i'ixed to the spindles 35 of the asso- The parts may be so. arranged that when one pump plunger is rising the other is falling, Orrin any other convenient manner, by suitably adjusting the levers 88 and 89 upon their respective plunger spindles.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: Assume that light is switched on and that both plungers 37 are in lowermost position so that the two liquids are in their respective reservoirs. No lettering will appear since the light will pass through the clear glass and will simply light up the front of the screen. gradually raised, liquid will rise in the rear space 23; the light will pass through a yellow layer of liquid and the whole screen will gradually assume a yellow color, the color creeping upwards from the bottom and the lettering be still invisible. It nowthe front plunger be raised blue liquid will rise in the space 21 and surround the glass pieces 25 and 27 and also 29. In consequence the sun and rays design and the lettering will appear gradually and will be yellow surrounded by a compound of yellow and blue, that is, green.V

By moving the plungers at other times (for example, simultaneously) variations can be inal'background will be correspondinglycolored instead of-white, with the result that by the use of the two liquid colorings further variations can be obtained.v

' Asthe liquid will rise towards horizontal If now the rear plunger is appearance of diagonal 'rising maybe `obtainedby tilting the apparatus :or by fixing the lettering diagonally. Y.

In the particular.illustrative example, 1th apparatus and-lettering are horizontal.

It will be'understood that theapparatus may be arranged: otherwise than:1 horizontal;

for example, it may beverfticalwith letters arranged one above the other. -InV place of` lettering silhouettes vof various devices may 4,

' Furthervariationin coloring efectmay with multiple-wayswitching. Y,

continuousfduring pumping. p

be obtained by the use ofmulti-colored lamps. Y

In connectionwith large signsswh'erethe displacement of, a considerable quanti-ty Vof liquid :isnecessary small rotary pumps may be used; there may be automatic controlof 4these pumps to .give the variationsthat are desired. l

Although an' apparatus with two liquid.E

spaces has been described'it isto be underi' ksteed that either more or lessfthan two may beA used according to theuse towhich the apparatus isto be put. `Further, the liquid spaces may be other than rectangular and 1L plane; for example, they may ascendspirally.

'.What we claim is :s Y.

\ 1. yDisplay apparatus, comprisingalplurality of' Vholl'ow compartments through which the light from one sourcerinay pass, said compartments, thewa-lls of which are y Vconstructed of :material being positioned one behind the other to ferma compound'screen,

va reservoir for each compartment containing r'colored liquid, the liquidcontai'ned ineach reservoir being of a different color, pumping means for each reservoir and adaptedA to force Y Y the liquid from-each reservoir to its'respec-l Vtive compartment to color the screen,fand

means: 'or cyclicly operating the pumping means. 2. Display apparatus, comprising av plurality of' hollow compartments, the wallsofMr which are constructed cf materialk through 'which thelight from one sourceinayy pass, lsaid compartments being'-positioiie'd one bey hind the other to form a compound screen, a

reservoir vfor each compartment Vcontaining colored liquid,thef liquid contained iii each jreservoir being of a different color, pumping l' nieans for each reservoir and adapted to force fthe liquid from keach reservoir to its respective compartment to color the'screen, means. ferfcyelicly operating'the pumpiiig'jmeans, and means for varying the phase oi. operation i of onepump with respect to another.

A method; ofproducing coloredeffects *bi lighting, comprising passing-,a beamlfof Ylight through -a plurality oit-transparent com- "parti'nents, alternately filling eah eonipartl130 nient with a colored liquid and discharging the. liquid'therefrom, and varying the phase of the cycle of lilling anddischarging of one compartmentswith respect to another;

4. Display apparatus, comprising a, plu-ral- Vity of' hollow compartments, the Walls of which are constructedV of material through which the light from one source may pass, said/'compartments being positioned one behind the other-to form a compoundscreen, a reservoir for eachV compartment.containing 'colored'liquid, the liquid contained in each reservoir being oia dierenty color, pumping means for each reservoir and adapted to force Y the. liquid from each-reservoir to its respective compartment to color the screen, means for causing simultaneous action of the .plural- Y ity of pumping means, and means for varying 'the action otone pumping/means relatively to that of another, whereby at any chosen location on the screen diierent color elects may be obtained.

- Y 5. Display apparatus, comprising a plurality of hollow compartments, the walls of which are constructed oil' material through which the light from'one source may pass, said compartments being positioned one behind the other to form a compound screen, a reservoir for each compartment contain- Iing colored liquid, the liquid contained lin each `vreservoir being of a differentv color, pumping means for each reservoir and adapted to force the liquid from each reservoir to its respective compartment lto color the screen,

and as display character in one of thecompartments, .whereby liquid may fill the compartment to surround the character.

6. Display apparatus, comprising a plurall ity ohollow compartments, the walls of which are constructed of material through -which the light from one source-may pass, said compartnientsbeing positioned one behindthe other to Yform a compound screen,

afreservoir for each compartment containing colored liquid, the liquid contained in each reservoir being of a different-color, pumpi ing means for each reservoirY and adapted to force the liquid from each reservoir to its respective compartment to color the screen,

a display character in one of the compartnments, means for flooding that compartment with liquid to outline the character, and means for oodinganother compartment with liquid'to color the character. n

7 Display apparatus, comprising a plurality of hollow compartments, the walls of which are constructed of material through Vwhich the light from one source may pass,

said compartments being positioned one behindthe other toiform a compound screen, a reservoir for each compartment contain ing colored liquid, the liquid contained in Y each reservoir being or a dierent color, pumping means for each reservoir and adapted to. orceethe liquid from each reservoirto its Y y 

